Shearer To Delay Op

Geordie hero Shearer, in his last season for Newcastle, is hoping to delay his hernia operation as long as possible. He took his goal scoring record to 196 last night in the Carling Cup and is now only 4 goals short of Jackie Milburn's record.

Souness told fans that Shearer would require surgery but Shearer has said he has no date in mind. In an interview with Newcastle World TV he said:

'There is something down there that will need to be sorted, but I cannot say when that will be. It could be the end of the season, or it could be next week. It's not a huge problem for me at the moment. I certainly don't have a date for surgery and I am hoping to hold on until the end of the season. We will keep an eye on it but I want to play.'